IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,157,220
Granted Patent B2
US 11,157,220 · App. 16/716,162 · Granted Oct 26, 2021

Connecting an image processing device via a mobile device

Inventors: Nigel Brady (Irvine, CA); Nobuyuki Iwauchi (Irvine, CA); Yunzhe Zhao (Irvine, CA)
Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
G06F3/1231G06F3/1204G06F3/1232G06F3/1238G06F3/1292G06K9/00201
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,157,220
App. No.
16/716,162
Granted
Oct 26, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A communication apparatus automatically establishes a wireless communication connection with an image processing apparatus. The communication apparatus captures one of more images of the image processing apparatus and determines, via image recognition process the identification information associated with the image processing apparatus. The communication apparatus automatically searches configuration information matching the identification information of the image processing apparatus and initiates the communication connection request. Communication apparatus provides the status information on a display screen of the communication apparatus and establishes a connection between the image processing apparatus and the communication apparatus.

Claims (48)

1. A method for establishing a wireless connection between a communication apparatus and an image processing apparatus, the method comprising:

capturing one or more images of the image processing apparatus;

determining, via image recognition processing performed on the one or more images of the image processing apparatus, identification information associated with the image processing apparatus;

automatically searching for configuration information that includes one or more network identifiers associated with the determined identification information;

initiating, when the configuration information is obtained, a connection request between the communication apparatus and the image processing apparatus using the one or more associated network identifiers;

establishing a connection between the image processing apparatus and the communication apparatus,

wherein searching for configuration information is performed, in a case where the identification information, which includes a device name, a device model number, and a device environment, associated with the image processing apparatus matches with pre-stored identification information that includes the device name, the device model number, and the device environment of the image processing apparatus; and

the configuration information is obtained via manual entry and stored, in a case where the identification information, which includes the device name, the device model number, and the device environment associated with the image processing apparatus, does not match with the information of the pre-stored identification information.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the identification information includes identifying a device name, a device model number, and a device environment of the image processing apparatus.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the identification information further includes

comparing the one or more images of the image processing apparatus to a set of stored identification information representing a plurality of different image processing apparatuses and selecting one of the plurality of image processing apparatuses that matches the image processing apparatus captured in the one or more images as the image processing apparatus that is associated with the identification information.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the configuration information includes identifying a network information and a device information associated with the identification information of the image processing apparatus.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the network information includes a network address, an IP domain, a login, or password associated with the identification information of the image processing apparatus.

6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the device information includes device login information, device policy information, or device setting information associated with the identification information of the image processing apparatus.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein searching for configuration information further includes:

comparing the identification information associated with the image processing apparatus to a set of stored identification information representing a plurality of different image processing apparatuses that includes respective configuration information associated with the plurality of different image processing apparatuses, and selecting one of the plurality of different image processing apparatuses and the respective configuration information that matches with the identification information of the images of the image processing apparatus.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the capturing of the one or more images includes single image frames or a stream of one or more image frames as a video file.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the automatically searching for the configuration information that includes the one or more network identifiers includes

searching a communication network for one or more network identifiers matching the determined identification information, and

initiating the connection request between the communication apparatus and the image processing apparatus when the communication network matching the network identifier is obtained.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein initiating the connection request causes the image processing apparatus to output an indicator having one or more patterns, and

wherein one or more images of the indicator is captured by the communication apparatus to obtain an indicator pattern.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the obtained indicator pattern is further decoded to provide a status information associated with the image processing apparatus, and

wherein, the status information includes information for establishing the connection information between the image processing apparatus and the communication apparatus and is displayed on a display screen of the communication apparatus.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein print data are transmitted between the communication apparatus and the image processing apparatus based on the obtained status information associated with the image processing apparatus.

13. The method according to claim 9 , wherein initiating the connection request causes the image processing apparatus to generate a security code and output an indicator pattern having the security code, and

wherein one of more images of the indicator pattern have the security code are captured and decoded by the communication apparatus to obtain the security code before establishing the connection.

14. A method according to claim 1 , wherein determining via image recognition processing performed on the one or more images of the image processing apparatus further includes:

determining identification information and capability information associated with the image processing apparatus matching the requirement of print data, and

automatically searching for configuration information that includes one or more network identifiers associated with the determined identification information and the capability information of the image processing apparatus.

15. A communication apparatus comprising:

one or more memories storing one or more programs; and

one or more processors that, by executing the one or more programs, cause the communication apparatus to:

capture one or more images of an image processing apparatus;

determine, via image recognition processing performed on the one or more images of the image processing apparatus, identification information associated with the image processing apparatus;

automatically search for configuration information including one or more network identifiers associated with the determined identification information;

initiate, when the configuration information is obtained, a connection request between the communication apparatus and the image processing apparatus having the one or more network identifiers;

establish a connection between the image processing apparatus and the communication apparatus,

wherein search for configuration information is performed, in a case where the identification information, which includes a device name, a device model number, and a device environment, associated with the image processing apparatus matches with pre-stored identification information that includes the device name, the device model number, and the device environment of the image processing apparatus; and

the configuration information is obtained via manual entry and stored, in a case where the identification information, which includes the device name, the device model number, and the device environment associated with the image processing apparatus, does not match with the information of the pre-stored identification information.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform a method comprising:

capturing one or more images of an image processing apparatus;

determining, via image recognition processing performed on the one or more images of the image processing apparatus, identification information associated with the image processing apparatus;

automatically searching for configuration information including one or more network identifiers associated with the determined identification information;

initiating, when the configuration information is obtained, a connection request between the communication apparatus and the image processing apparatus using the one or more network identifiers;

establishing a connection between the image processing apparatus and the communication apparatus,

wherein searching for configuration information is performed, in a case where the identification information, which includes a device name, a device model number, and a device environment, associated with the image processing apparatus matches with pre-stored identification information that includes the device name, the device model number, and the device environment of the image processing apparatus; and

the configuration information is obtained via manual entry and stored, in a case where the identification information, which includes the device name, the device model number, and the device environment associated with the image processing apparatus, does not match with the information of the pre-stored identification information.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 17, 2019
From: BRADY, NIGEL; IWAUCHI, NOBUYUKI; ZHAO, YUNZHE
To: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 051309/0319 →
Continuity (3)
Provisional Application 62780664 · Dec 17, 2018
Provisional Application 62863086 · Jun 18, 2019
Related Publication 20200192613A1 · Jun 18, 2020